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It hasn't been that bad for me...once the nausea, diarrhea and headaches disappear it has been pretty good. Now I just have a bout here and there...

But....positives...joints and muscle aches a whoooooole lot less painful. I went from crawling on my hands and knees pain to tender, mild. My malar rash bumps. All gone...still a pink hue left. I sleep well..but that may have to do with, I take two Ultracet each night.

Not everyday over the past two months have been mild...but then when I feel really good I push the limit. Few days off from life and I am back to my "norm"..my good as it gets.

The most common use of Hydroxychloroquine for Lupus is Plaquenil. These are an anti-malarial and anti-rheumatic drugs that are particularly effective in treating skin and joint symptoms that occur in SLE. They have been demonstrated to improve:
* muscle and joint pain
* inflammation of the lining of the heart (pericarditis)
* inflammation of the lining of the lung (pleuritis)
* other symptoms of lupus such as fatigue and fever.
Anti-malarials are very effective in the treatment of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE): 60-90 percent of those with DLE showed major improvements after being treated with anti-malarials. Skin lesions of DLE that do not respondto treatment with topical therapy (e.g., creams, ointments) have been known to improve with the use of anti-malarial drugs.
Anti-malarials are also useful in subacute cutaneous lupus, and in overlap syndromes which have acute symptoms of lupus and other autoimmune disorders.

The anti-malarials used for the management of systemic lupus include:
* hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)
* chloroquine (Aralen)
* quinacrine (Atabrine).
These medications are not equivalent in their side effects. Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is the most popular because it is felt to be less likely to cause eye side effects. Quinacrine is only available from compounding pharmacists.
Anti-malarials appear to interfere with immune cellular function. The antimalarials are weak bases and can alter the pH inside the cell, thus interfering with intracellular enzyme activity that depends on a more acidic micro environment. When this occurs, there is an anti-inflammatory effect. Many chemicals that participate in the inflammatory cascade are altered, and blood is thinned due to alterations in platelet aggregation.
It is also known that anti-malarials protect against the damaging effects of ultraviolet light and can improve skin lesions. In addition, anti-malarials combine with certain chemicals or groups of proteins that play a role in the immune response. Anti-malarials have an effect on immune mediators, such as cytokines: They decrease auto-antibody production, inhibit the proliferative response of lymphocytes that are activated, and may have a direct effect on DNA. In these ways anti-malarials have the potential to put the disease into remission.

These side effects usually go away after the patient adjusts to the medication. If they continue, however, a physician should be consulted. Individuals who take generic hydroxychloroquine might try the brand Plaquenil before switching to a different anti-inflammatory drug.

A major potential side effect of anti-malarial use is the possible damage to the retina at the back of the eye. Recent evidence shows that there is no irreversible eye damage with Plaquenil in doses of 5 mg/kg (2.3 mg/lb) per day. For the average-weight person, this is less than 400 mg per day, if used for less than 10 years.
It is necessary to see an eye doctor or ophthalmologist prior to beginning treatment with anti-malarials in order to have a baseline examination.
A follow-up examination every three to six months thereafter is also necessary. Eye exams of the macula to rule out fine pigmentary disturbances should be performed at least every year.
Plaquenil is a relatively safe and effective drug used for the treatment of some Lupus symptoms. Almost all of us have or are currently using it.
I hope that this information has been helpful to you. Let me know if you need anything further :lol:
Peace and Blessings
Saysusie